Switch-stand.



No. 883,074. PATENTED MAR. 24;, 1908.-

w. w. ALLEN. SWITCH STAND. APYTLIOLTIOF FILED FEB. 11, 1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIcE.

WILLIAM W. ALLEN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

' SWITCH-STAND,

Application filed February 11, 1907.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State ofOhio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inSwitch-Stands, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part thereof.

My invention relates more particularly to what are known asautomatically operating switch-stands, in which means are providedwhereby the switch may be thrown by a passing train, but the operatingmechanism being constantly held under tension, thus, not only holdingthe switch in its turned position, but also holding it secure againstany attempts to tamper therewith.

The object of the invention is also, to provide a construction whereinas little friction will be had as possible, and permit of its positiveaction while it is being thrown to its limiting position. At the sametime, the construction is such that it may be easily operated by hand byan authorized operator, which, of course, can only be done after theswitch has been unlocked.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a switch-stand which will besimple in construction and not easily thrown out of order or affected bythe constant more or less rough usage to which the same is subjected.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a partly central sectional view, and sideelevation; Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the lines 22of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail view of the tension applying mechanismwhereby tension is applied to the operating shaft or mechanism; and Fig.4 is a similar view to Fig. '1, with a part of the upper portion brokenaway, and showing a modified form of my invention.

Like letters of reference indicate identical parts in the respectivefigures.

The switch stand comprises a base or casing A, having an opening in itstop which is provided with a collar B, through which the operating shaftor target spindle. C takes. The shaft or spindle O is preferably madesquare at its upper end, as shown, while the lower end within the casingor base A may be slightly larger and is made round as shown in thedrawings. The collar B is provided with a square recess to receive thesquare end of the sliding block D. The sliding block D is mounted on thesleeve E, which is also Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 24, 1908.

Serial No. 356,804.

squared, so that the sliding-block D will turn with it; the sleeve E isprovided with a square opening for the reception of the vertical shaftor spindle C, so that any movement or turn of the sleeve E will compelthe shaft or spindle C to move with it. The block D is loosely mountedon sleeve E, to permit it to slide thereon.

F represents an operating handle, which is pivoted to the sleeve E inany suitable manner, and is connected with the sliding block D by thelifting strap G. It will thus be seen that when the handle F is eitherlifted or turned downwardly, that block D must necessarily move in asimilar direction by reason of the lifting-strap G, which has pivotalconnection with both the handle and block.

The construction thus far described is that of a well-known style ofswitch-stand now in use.

Loosely mounted on the vertical shaft or target spindle O is a block Hwhich is preferably formed as can more clearly be seen in Fig. 2, withrounded corners and concaved sides, so as to provide definite bearingsurfaces, whereby the vertical shaft may be given limiting positions.This block H is also made integral with the lower end of collar B.Pivotally secured within the base or casing A, at the point a, is thebell-cranklever J, the lower end of which is preferably bifurcated, asat b, b, so as to take about the lower end of the vertical shaft orspindle C, as shown in Fig. 1, and in dotted lines, in Fig. 2. lever J,I prefer to provide the webs c, as shown. The bifurcations l), of thebellcrank-lever provide resting or bearing points for the spring K,which surrounds the lower end. of the vertical shaft, While the u perend of the spring bears either against tie block H, or if desired, awasher may be placed intermediate of the upper end of the spring and theblock H. The sleeve E takes into the square recess in collar B, andbutts against it, thereby securely holding collar B down onto casing A,against the action of the spring K, when block D is raised with thehandle F. The upper end of the bell-crank-lever terminates in a spindleor journal (Z on which is rotatably mounted the roller L. This roller isheld in place by a pin 6, or in any other suit able manner. It isapparent from this construction that the spring K tends to depress thelower end. of the bell-crank-lever J,

In order to reinforce the bell-crankpressing the roller at the upper endof the bell-crank-lever against the block H, thus exerting a constanttension and preventing the free action of the block H, with the verticalshaft or spindle C, when the parts are locked in place.

In order to lock the operating handle F in its normal position, andprevent any tampering with the switch, the sliding block D may beprovided with the lug M, extending upwardly, which may take through anopening in or between the bifurcated ends of the handle F, and receive alock or other device through the opening in the lug.

The operation of the construction is as follows:WVhen it is desired tothrow the switch to any desired position by hand, the handle F isunlocked from the lug M, and raised, which draws u the lifting strap G,whereby the sliding b ock D will be withdrawn from the square recess incollar B, when the handle may be swung around, and with it the verticalshaft C (which is connected to the switch tongue by the usual crank O atits bottom), which turns in this condition without moving the block andthe integrally formed collar, thus leaving the roller L in contact withthe same concaved side as before. I/Vhen the switch is to be thrownautomatically, however, then of course the handle F, remains locked toblock D, and the train exerting sufficient pressure to overcome thetension of spring K, throws or turns the vertical shaft or targetspindle C, and with it the sleeve E, block D and collar B, with theintegrally formed block H, compelling the roller L on thebell-cranklever to ride around the corner of block H, into anotherconcaved side thereof, thus holding the entire mechanism in its nextlimiting position. By reason of the bellcrank-lever having the pivotalconnection at a, it is apparent that the roller L may ride around therounded corners of the block H.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a slight modification of the construction justdescribed, in that I provide a different bearing surface for the upperend of the spring K, and the block H with the collar B is shown aboveand to the outside of the base or casing A. This collar is of courseprovided with the squared opening as previously set forth with referenceto the collar B, into which the squared end of the sliding block D takesand also the end of sleeve E, which latter bears against the collar.With this construction it will be seen that the frictional contact ofspring K with the block H as shown in Fig. 1, is obviated, and thepossibility for wear thus minimized, as the upper end of the spring K,which does not turn, will not have the rubbing contact with the block Hwhen the latter is revolved during the automatic operation of theswitch. In this construction of course the upper end of thebell-cranklever J must extend through an opening in the top of thecasing or base A, as indicated, so as to permit the roller L to contactwith and bear against the block H. The base or casing A may be made inany convenient form, and I have illustrated it for example as comprisingtwo parts, the one being bolted onto the other, so that ready access maybe had to its interior.

I have shown and described what I believe to be the simplestconstructions of my improvement, but the same may be modified in slightminor details without departing from the spirit of my invention, and Ido not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exactconstructions shown and described, but

What I claim as my invention, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a switch stand, a base or casing, a rotatable shaft mountedtherein, means pivotally mounted at its one end while the other or freeend is adapted to act on said shaft, and mechanism having controllingconnection with said means whereby the rotation of the shaft isaffected.

2. A switch-stand comprising a base or casing, a rotatable shaft takingthere-through, said base or casing being provided with a collar whichforms one member of a lock or clutch, a second member slidably mountedon the shaft and adapted to take into said first member, whereby theshaft is locked against rotation independently of the lock or clutch,and a block loosely mounted. on said shaft, in combination with meanspivotally mounted within the base or casing, and a spring acting on saidpivoted means whereby the rotation of the shaft is affected when bothmembers of the clutch are in their normal position.

3. A switch stand comprising a rotatable shaft, means pivotally mountedadjacent to said shaft and adapted to swing in the arc of a circle, anda spring exerting its tension on said means, compelling it to movethrough the arc of a circle and act on said shaft at right angles to itsaxis, thereby affecting the rotation of said shaft when automaticallyoperated.

4. A switch-stand comprising a rotatable shaft, a block loosely mountedthereon, pivoted means adjacent to said shaft, one end of said means adated to contact with and bear against said b ock, and a spring arrangedto exert tension on the other end of said. pivoted means whereby saidmeans is made to bear against said shaft to affect its rotation whenautomatically operated.

5. A switch-stand comprising a rotatable shaft, means pivoted adjacentto said shaft and having its one end bifurcated and extending about saidshaft, while its other end is adapted to bear against the shaft, and aspring bearing on the bifurcated end of said pivoted means whereby theother end affects the rotation of the shaft when the same is operatedautomatically.

6. A switch-stand comprising a rotatable shaft, a bell-cI'a11k-leverpivoted adjacent to said. shaft, and a spring bearing on one end of saidlever, whereby the other end affects the rotation of said shaft.

7. A switch stand comprising a base or casing, a rotatableshaft takingthrough said casing and having its bearings therein, means pivoted insaid casing so as to swing in the are of a circle, and mechanism withinthe casing acting on said. means whereby the latter is made to movethrough the arc of a l l r l l circle and held in frictional contactWith the shaft to affect its rotation. when automatically operated.

8. A switch-stand comprising a base 01' casing, a rotatable shaftmounted in .said casing, a bell-crank-lever mounted Within said casingand adjacent to said shaft, and mechanism acting on one end of saidlever whereby the other end is made to exert pressure on said shaft andaffect its rotation.

WILLIAM ALLEN. Witnesses J 0s. LEMKUHL, GEORGE HEIDMAN.

